Woman&#39;s undervest.



E. EMMERS.

WOMANS UNDERVEST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY ll. 19I5- 1,204,657.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

INVENTOR WITNESSES @WM" BY ATTORN EY EDWARD EMMERS, OF ROYERSFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

WOMANS UNDERVEST.

Specification of Letters latent. t t 14, 191

Application filed May 11, 1915. Serial No. 27,291.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD EMMERs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Royersford, county of Montgomery, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in lVomens Undervests, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction of undervests for women which, by simple adjustment of the shoulder straps, will provide either of two shapes of bust, namely a low V out or a high straight front as may be desired; and furthermore, will provide a broad or relatively narrower garment at the shoulders to suit persons of difl'erent stature.

My object is further to so construct the garment that the interchange from high to low bust arrangement may be had with shoulder straps which are continuous over the shoulders; and further to provide means for independent adjustment of the width of the bust and back of the high bust portions whereby one part is not afl ected by any tension upon the other. 7

In embodying my invention in practical form, I employ a knitted fabric in tubular form, in which the bust portion is out 01f transversely to the length ofthe tubular fabric, and said fabric further out in the direction of the length of the same to provide four corners each formed by the juncture of a part of the transverse upper or bust edge of the tubular fabric and one of the longitudinal edges formed by the longiu tudinal cuts, and to two of these corners, diagonally arranged, I provide independent shoulder straps, the free ends of which may be detachably coupled respectively with the other diagonally arranged corners in one way to provide a garment with straight bust and back, and coupled in another way to form, of the arm portions, a V out bust and back, and provide from the straight front and back portions, laterally extending arm sockets below the shoulder straps.

In further embodiment of my invention I employ only two shoulder straps, respectively on the diagonal corners formed by the juncture of the'chest and back edges with the arm hole portions, said straps having free ends adapted to be respectively coupled with either of the remaining similar corners of the garment which have no straps, accord ing to whether the garment is to be arranged for high or low bust use.

My invention also comprehends details of construction which, together I with the features above specified, will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved undervest when the shoulder straps are so'coupled as to provide a high straight bust and back; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same garment when the shoulder straps are coupled in a diflerent way to lower the.

cut of the bust and give it a V shape;Fig. 3 is a perspective view corresponding to a portion of Fig. 1 with the arm straps uncoupled; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of cutting the tubular knitted fabric from which the body of the garment is made.

2 is the body of the garment and, ordinarily, is made of tubular ribbed knitted fabric formed upon a circular knitting machine. A section of this knitted tube is cut transversely to form the substantially straight bust edges 5, and is split on diametrically opposite sides to form the edges 3 constituting the lower parts of the arm' holes, the said edges 3 meeting at the lower parts 4, namely those portions at the bottom of the slits above mentioned. Extending upward from alternate junctures of the edges 3 and 5, I provide shoulder straps 6 and 7 these being two in number and preferably formed of open or lace work which may be continued as a border edge along the edges 3 and 5 as shown, and in which tapes or ribbons may be threaded. The free ends of the shoulder straps may be formed of plain fabric and adapted to be detachably united to the remaining diagonally j the free ends of the shoulder straps 6 and 7.

These corners may, ifdesired, be reinforced by the pieces 12 placed over them and stitched in place and which will also act as a'binding for more securely attaching the button and the lace edging of the edges 3 and 5 of the garment. It will now be seen that when the two shoulder straps 6 and 7 are extended over in opposite directions and portions.

The shoulder straps 6 and '7 are continuous over the shoulders so as to have an unobtrusive effect, especially when the outer garment is of transparent material or more or less low necked, such as when the straps might show. Because of the continuity of the straps over the shoulders, they 'may be made more artistic and delicately formed than if the adjustability was formed in the strap itself at top of the shoulder. The tapes or drawing ribbons may be arranged as follows: A short tape 13 may have one end secured to the corner 8 of the garment and extending through the open lace edging, terminate in'a free end at the middle of the bust. A long tape 1-1- may have one end secured in the free end of the shoulder strap 7 and extending through the open work edging, terminate in a free end at the middle of the bust. The two free ends of the tapes 13 and 1% may be adjustably tied at 15 to regulate the width of. the bust. It is also-evident that this tape 14 may be secured at'the base of the shoulder strap at 16 against being drawn through the lace edging. In this way the shoulder strap will not be drawn or distorted by any adjustment of the tapes. The same general arrangement of tapes is provided for the back portion'of the garment, 17 beingthe'short tape and 18 the long tape extending through the shoulder strap 6 and preferably secured at 20. The free ends of the tapes 17 and 18 may be adjustably tied at 19 to adjust the width of the back independently of the bust. In this way the garmentmay be adapted to large or small busted persons. The arm hole p0rtions' 3 may have open work lace edging and this may extend along the shoulder straps, and in such lace edging may be arranged the tapes 21 whose ends are respectively secured in theporners 8 and 9 and free-ends of. the shoulder straps 6 and 7. Thesetapes do not require adjustability because, when the garment is arranged for low bust and back, as in Fig. 2, the edgesB, being in the length of the knitted fabric, are not very elastic and hence hold close to the chest and back of the wearer and fit women ofvarying sized busts by the arm hole portions yielding proportionally. In the case of high bust adjustment, the edges 5 aretransverse to the direction of the length of the knitted fabric and hence normally have great 1 elasticity and should be provided with regubut with more fullness under the arms. those cases where no shoulder straps are delating means for adjustment, as are provided in this case by the tapes 13, 14, 1'7 and 18 adjustably tied in pairs as shown.

It will be seen by comparing Figs. 1 and 2, that the general shape of the bust and arm portion of the under-vest has been com pletely changed by the simple act of coupling the shoulder strap portions in different combinations. Not only does the high straight bust become changed to a low V cut bust, but where the material of the former provided for a full bust, the latter will give a somewhat tighter bust structure In sired, or when using the vest as a corsetcover, the straps 6 and 7 are not coupled, but instead, are turned down so as to be invisible and leave the shoulders entirely free, and this too, without having undesirable material under the arms as has heretofore been necessary.

In place of 'using'buttons and buttonholes, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I employ any other suitable fasteners, such as those used upon gloves, etc. While it is preferable to provide the straps with fasteners'of some kind. such fasteners may be omitted and fancy pins of. artistic or other nature may be employed instead, if so preferred.

I have shown my improved undervests in the form I prefer, for general use, but I do not restrict myself to the details, as these may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz 1. As an article of manufacture, an undervest for women made of knitted fabric in. tubular form having its upper or bust end cut transversely across the length of the fabric and having said end also cut longitudinally on diametrically opposite sides to provide arm hole portions and four corner portions constituting the junctures of the arm portions with the bust and back portions, and having two of the corner portions which are diagonally arranged each provided with integral shoulder straps extending therefrom and each having a free end said should straps being of sufficient length to respectively extend completely over the shoulders inopposite directions and respectively connect directly with either of the'remaining two diagonally arranged corners-of the garment, said straps arranged to be coupled with either of the corner portions to provide high bust and back portions or low bust and back portions as desired.

2. As an article of manufacture, an undervest for Women made of knitted fabric in tubular form having its upper or bust end cut transversely across the length of the fabric and having said end also cut longitudinally on diametrically opposite sides to provide arm hole portions and four corner portions constituting the junctures of the arm portions with the bust and back portions, and having two of the corner portions which are diagonally arranged provided with independent shoulder straps extending therefrom having free ends, said shoulder straps being of sufficient length to respectively extend continuously over the shoulders in opposite directions and respectively connect with either of the remaining two diagonally arranged corners of the garment, and said straps arranged to be coupled with the corner portions to provide high bust and back portions or low bust and back porsions as desired, and detachable fastening devices one portion of each of which is arranged on the end of each ofthe shoulder straps and the other coacting portion on the corners of the garment which have no shoulder straps.

3. As an article of manufacture, an undervest for women made of knitted fabric in tubular form having its upper or bust end cut transversely across the length of the fabric and having said end also cut longitudinally on diametrically opposite sides to provide arm hole portions and four corner portions constituting the junctures of the arm portions with the bust and back portions, and having two of the corner portions which are diagonally arranged provided With lndependent shoulder straps extending therefrom having free ends said shoulder straps being of sufilcient length to respectively extend continuously over theshoulders in opposite directions and respectively connect with either of the remaining two diagonally arranged corners of the garment, and said straps arranged to be coupled with the corner portions to provide high bust and back portions or low bust and back portions as desired, and tWo pairs of drawing tapes one EDlVARD EMMERS.

Witnesses U. S. G. FINKBINER, CLARA FREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

